Snippets
by midnightopheliac
Summary: A series of one-shots centered around our favorite pair ft. bulletproof glass, cake mix, fluff, TNT, and all the feels.
1. Bulletproof Glass

**A/N Hi all,**

 **Gosh, I've missed you!**

 **Its been a few months now since I finished Safe Paws. Thank you all so much for the love on that story, it means the world to me. The sequel is being fleshed out, but I've got a lot of exciting and life-changing things planned over the next few months so I can't say yet when I'll start writing/posting it. Stay tuned tho!**

 **After taking a break from writing, I'm back with this series of one-shots.**

 **These are all stand alone and have no relation to Safe Paws. I wanted to give myself a bit of a challenge and work with varying characterizations.**

 **Some of my Safe Paws readers have been voting on what they want to see me write, but if you have any prompts please feel free to leave them in the reviews. I can't promise I'll get around to them all, but I'll try my best.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **~ Ophelia x**

* * *

The third time Judy broke the bulletproof glass, Nick knew they needed to talk.

"Fluff?" The fox called out, unable to hear the volume of his voice thanks to the ear defenders he wore. He approached the doe with caution, acutely aware of the weapon she held in her paws. It hadn't taken Nick long to find her down at the shooting range, it had become a habit of the small rabbits over the last couple of days to blow off some steam once they were done with the day's work. If it were any other mammal currently firing round after round into the glass, Nick wouldn't have even blinked, but his happy-go-lucky partner? That raised a lot of questions.

Even though she wore ear defenders too, the doe hadn't missed Nick's approach. After spending so long working and living together – _"Your place is a dump, Fluff. My apartment's got plenty of room for the two of us"_ – the rabbit and fox were very in tune with one another. Flicking the safety back on, Judy placed the weapon down, removing her ear defenders. She didn't wish to talk, too bothered by the news from home, but she knew that her behavior had been markedly different and that Nick had probably noticed. Usually, she could escape to her room at home, or flip the conversation to the case they were working on when sat at their desks or out in the streets, but down in the basement at the firing range there was no escape. "Yeah Slick?"

Lifting his paws, the fox yanked off the defenders, sound that was once muted now more apparent. "I don't know what that glass did to hurt you, but remind me to never get on your bad side." He quipped, taking in the shards of glass over the range floor. Contrary to popular belief, the bulletproof glass could be broken, so long as it was hit a considerable amount of times. Though Judy's eyesight wasn't as good as Nick's, the doe had still been able to cluster her shots and shatter the pane, and the casings littering the floor told the fox just how many rounds it had taken her.

"Harhar." Judy rubbed a paw over her face before turning to face her partner, slapping on a smile. "What's up?"

"Doc." Nick couldn't help himself, and he barely held onto his snicker. His amusement died however at the look of confusion on Judy's face. "You know, 'what's up, doc?' Bugs Bunny, the kit show." Nick explained, baffled by Judy shaking her head. "Don't you have a TV in Bunnyburrow?" He couldn't believe the rabbit hadn't seen the cartoon, and he made a mental note to introduce it to her on their next weekend off. The mention of home had Judy's eyes widening and her ears falling. _"Home. Whatever's put her in this mood relates to home."_

Smoothing out her features, Judy focused on his failed joke. "We own a farm, Nick. My kithood consisted of playing outdoors and harvesting the produce."

"You're missing out. Not a problem though, this is something I can fix." The tod spared a glance to the shattered glass. "Unlike that." He nodded his head in its direction. "What's bothering you, Fluff? You've been a bit tense these last few days, broken a few panes of glass, and gone through a small army worth of bullets, which will be fun explaining to Chief Buffalo Butt."

Shaking her head again, the doe shrugged. "Nothings bothering me, I just felt it was time to do a bit more target practice. We have the demonstration for the kits in a few weeks." The lie rolled off her tongue, but it felt acrid, and guilt blossomed in her gut. She hated lying, and she especially hated lying to Nick.

She was on the defensive. Judy's aim didn't need that much improvement. Since they'd agreed to live together, or more realistically since Nick had insisted she get out of her hovel of a room and share with him, he'd become the Judy Whisperer. Knowing when to pick his battles, he decided to let it slide. For now. "Maybe if you keep trying, you'll be as sharp a shooter as I am." He flipped to humor to diffuse the situation, offering the rabbit a lazy smile. Nick's incredible vision had helped him become top of his class at the shooting range, and Bogo often called on him when a mammal with a steady paw and a perfect aim was required.

Relief coursed through Judy's veins as Nick changed the subject, and she felt the weight lift off her shoulders. Her features relaxed, lips curving into a softer, more genuine smile. "Careful Slick, or your head will be too big to fit through the door." She teased, turning to scoop up her weapon. There was no way she'd get to continue blowing off some steam now that Nick had found her.

With her gun in one paw and ear defenders in the other, she made her way past her partner and out of the range, back to Officer Trumpet. The elephant was on duty in the basement, in charge of the range for the week. "Sorry about the mess in there Bob, got a bit trigger happy." Judy offered her colleague a sweet smile, trying not to laugh at the funny noise his trunk made as he snorted. "Will some carrot cake make it up to you?" She bargained. After a shipment of her family's produce had arrived at their place for her a few weeks back, the rabbit had been excited to finally get to use a semi-decent kitchen again, and had gone crazy baking one Sunday afternoon. She'd brought a small carrot cake into work on Monday, and since then her fellow officers had continuously asked her when her next baking weekend would be.

"That'd be just great, Hopps." The elephant took the weapon and ear defenders from the bunny, offering her a smile. Truth told working the range was a tedious job. Not many mammals liked to spend longer than necessary at the precinct, preferring to be out patrolling the streets or working cases. Range work was a substantial change in pace.

Handing over his own ear defenders, Nick gave Officer Trumpet a nod before he followed Judy towards the stairs back up to the rest of the precinct. "How come you never bribe me with carrot cake, Fluff?" The fox teased, purposefully keeping the conversation light for now. Once Judy was her usual chatty self, he'd try and get answers from her again. They climbed the stairs together, and the tod spared a glance sideways in time to see his partner shake her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You hate carrot cake." The doe pointed out. It had greatly disappointed her when Nick had tried some of her cake and had proceeded to dry-heave. She'd wrongly assumed all fox's liked carrots, then again before meeting Nick the only fox she'd had any contact with had been Gideon. _'There's nothing wrong with the taste, Fluff. I just don't like the texture.'_ Nick had informed her before he'd scraped all remnants of carrot from his tongue. As the daughter of carrot farmers, it had mollified her that at least the tod didn't utterly despise them.

Nick hid his grimace at the memory of the carrot cake incident. He'd felt terrible afterward, and it still bothered him to this day that he didn't like the star produce from his partner's family farm. "Okay, blueberry muffins then. As long as the blueberries are from your family farm."

"Then I'll bake you some." Judy decided, offering the fox a smile. His love for her family's blueberries knew no bounds, and she got a strange enjoyment watching him eat them.

Chuckling, the tod didn't bother hiding his smile. Though he would never admit it aloud, and some would call him sexist for it, the sight of Judy puttering in the kitchen, and the smell of freshly baked goods wafting through their home, filled him with contentment. "I knew there was a reason I asked you to move in with me."

Before Judy could stop herself, she stretched out an arm and punched Nick's shoulder as they left the precinct and crossed the parking lot, heading towards his car. Though not a hard punch, it was enough to draw a soft _'oof'_ from the fox, and the tod reached up to rub at his arm, shaking his head fondly at the small bunny as he circled the car, plucking his keys from his pocket.

Eternally grateful that his partner had springy legs and could hop the small distance up into his car, Nick waited for Judy to fasten her seatbelt before he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. Now, with the doe right where he wanted her, he began on Plan B. It hadn't taken Nick very long, when he'd finally passed the academy and started working with Judy, to work out that he had to plan ahead and have several contingency plans, that she wouldn't always do as he anticipated. "Want to swing by BugBurger on the way home?" He asked nonchalantly, sparing her a quick glance as they pulled up to a red light.

Shaking her head, Judy reached out for the glove box handle, opening it. Shoving a paw into the space, she started to rummage for her book. Last week, when she and Nick had been walking the beat, they'd come across a small independent bookstore. They'd decided to take a break and have a look inside, and Judy's eyes had instantly been drawn to a copy of To the Doghouse by Virginia Woof. Since then, the doe had spent each morning on the way to work, and each evening after work, reading a few chapters. As the rabbit moved her paw, she couldn't find the familiar feel of her book. "Have you seen it?" She quizzed Nick, not needing to offer any further explanation. Her eyebrows were drawn together, lips thinned.

"Nope." Nick popped the 'p,' feigning innocence as the light turned green and he continued to drive. Part of Plan B had involved moving Judy's book from the glove compartment to the trunk before he'd ventured down to the range to collect her and attempt Plan A.

Huffing, the doe slammed the glove box shut. "I swear I left it there. I was reading it on the way in this morning." She slumped in her seat, folding her arms across her chest.

"Sure you didn't take it in with you and leave it on your desk?" Nick offered, taking a left turn. They were only two blocks away from their apartment now.

"I don't think so." The rabbit shrugged. "I'll check tomorrow." The two mammals fell silent as Nick turned on to their street.

Slowing the vehicle to a crawl as he searched for a vacant parking space, the tod broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?"

Aware of her partner's nature, for she didn't call him Slick Nick for nothing, the doe contemplated saying no. Her curiosity got the better of her though. "Depends"

"It's hypothetical." The fox tried to throw Judy off. "Say you know someone really well, and you essentially live in each other's pockets. Say they start acting a bit strange, a bit distant. How would you react?" Nick asked as he finally spotted a space, pulling the car into it.

"No." Judy shut the conversation down as Nick brought the car to a stop, and she reached for her seatbelt. She didn't want to talk about it, and she mentally kicked herself for believing that Nick would drop the subject. The fox never let anything go, especially if he thought it might provide him with some juicy gossip or information that could come in useful in the future.

"It's hypothetical." Nick protested calmly, trying to get back to the topic at paw.

Sighing, Judy shook her head. "I know what you're getting at. Please don't." The doe unfastened her seatbelt and started to reach for the door handle.

"Fluff, this is for your own good." Nick reacted immediately, locking the car doors just as Judy's paw closed around the handle and she pulled.

Surprised by the tod's actions, Judy gasped, trying the door handle a few more times. It wouldn't budge. "This is creepy, please unlock the doors." She demanded, giving up on trying to get out of the vehicle and instead turned her focus to the other mammal. Nick had never gone to such an extent before to get information out of her. Usually, he was kind to the point she felt lousy hiding things from him, so gave up and divulged.

"Nope. You'll run away from this conversation. I know you, and you never run away from anything, you always want to talk things out, so naturally, I'm concerned about the fact you now don't want to." He turned off the engine, knowing the doors would remain locked until he pushed the button again. Nick watched as the doe slumped back into her seat once more, her little nose wiggling in frustration.

Folding her arms over her chest, the rabbit glared at the fox. "Be grateful I left my fox repellent in my desk drawer." She muttered. Her threat was empty for she'd never use it on Nick, and both of them knew that, but it served as a good indication of her mood.

"Duly noted," Nick observed her threat before he fell silent. Giving her a moment to hopefully calm down a little, he turned his focus to her body language. Shoulder's hunched, ears up, nose wiggling. She was tense for certain, and maybe even a little nervous. A different approach was needed. Clearing his throat, Nick dropped his tone to a softer one, features softening. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, Judy. It's okay." He opted for her full name, hoping it would convey to her just how worried he was.

The switch in Nick's tone pulled an instinctual reaction from the bunny. Her ears fell and her arms loosened from across her chest. Her left paw even began to rub her right arm. "It's nothing serious." She revealed, guilt coursing through her now for making him worry and probably think the worst over something insignificant and stupid. "It's dumb."

"If you're worried this much about it, then it's not dumb." The fox pointed out, not wanting Judy to belittle how she was feeling. Abandoning his hold on the wheel, Nick reached across the car to stroke the small amount of visible fur on Judy's arm closest to him. "Whatever it is, I've got your back." He reassured her. He would go to the end of the world for the little rabbit, a thought that had terrified him the first time it had crossed his mind, but he knew she would do the same for him.

Looking across to her partner, amethyst met emerald, and a soft smile crossed the rabbit's lips. "I got a letter from home." She started, features turning in to a frown of their own accord. "My high school is having a reunion, and I've been invited." Gaze dropping, she felt a sudden wash of shame at how lame it was to be worked up over something so trivial.

Nick blinked. That was what Judy was so worked up about? He was grateful Judy had averted her gaze, as it gave him time to close his slack jaw. Countless other scenarios had been running through his mind, all of them more gruesome than the last, but it was a high school reunion that had his unshakable bunny so worked up? "From how you've been acting, I take it that's a bad thing?" He questioned, a little unsure. Nick had never been invited to a high school reunion. For that to have happened, he would've had to go to high school. That hadn't been his priority as a kit. The streets had taught him everything he knew.

"Of course it's bad, Slick! I don't want to go." Judy all but exploded, throwing her paws up in the air in frustration, knocking Nick's paw off her arm.

The fox tried to keep a blank expression, worried he might upset her. He'd never seen Judy like this before, and new territory deserved to be walked through carefully. "RSVP and say you're busy." He suggested, the answer perfectly logical.

"Then I'll be shunned even more the next time I go home. They'll think that I believe that I'm better than them." That was the crux of the matter. If Judy went it would be hell, her old school acquaintances would no doubt make barbs about her job and life, about her leaving Bunnyburrow behind and not being a 'good bunny' like the rest of them. If she didn't go, though, the barbs would be even worse and said behind her back. She was so frustrated with having to continually defend herself and her dream to those in Bunnyburrow.

Eyebrow quirking, the fox couldn't believe any mammal would think that way. Sure he would be annoyed if someone couldn't make it to his get together, but he'd never shun them for it. "Why on earth would they do that?" It baffled him.

"It's a small town, Nick. Not even saying hello to someone on the street can cause a fuss." Judy explained. It was why she enjoyed city life so much, there were no expectations, she didn't have to act in a particular manner to please other mammals.

"You're worried about what they'll say if you go, so you're debating if you'll go or not, but you're also worried what they'll say if you don't go?" It all clicked in Nick's mind. In his opinion, it was a little odd for Judy to get her panties in a twist about the views of others, but if it genuinely did bother her, then he'd help her find a solution.

Nodding as Nick got it, the doe offered him a sad smile. "I'm not normal by their standards, with my 'dangerous' city job and big dreams." Judy shook her head. It still disappointed her that Bunnyburrow wasn't progressing very quickly. They'd come forward a little, removing all tasers and weapons aimed at fending off predators from the shops, and accepting Gideon and his business once they'd tried his pies, but it was hard to rid an entire town of their old ways of thinking overnight. "They'll make snide comments about my job, and the city, and about me not being married and with kits yet." She rolled her eyes, already hearing her old school acquaintance Ashleigh Flufftail's voice in her head. She was the perfect doe in Bunnyburrow's eyes – pretty body, not very bright, but with the desire to be a homemaker.

"Why do you care what they think, Fluff? It's never bothered you in the past." Nick was genuinely perplexed. Judy had dealt with their comments before, pushed through them to join the academy and become an officer. Why was she so bothered now?

The question had kept her up for several nights, but thankfully having grown up in a warren full of baby bunnies Judy had become conditioned to function on little sleep. "I know, but I don't want them to rain on my parade. My life is amazing now; the city is wonderful, I'm respected even though I'm a rabbit, work is going well, and I have you by my side. They'll pick holes in my life for sport, and I'm tired of defending what I have and want."

"Then we pick holes in theirs." Nick offered as a solution. If they could dish it out, then they should sure as hell should be prepared to take it.

The tod's choice of words caught the doe by surprise. "We?" She questioned, eyes widening as her lips parted slightly.

"Yeah. We. We're a team, a partnership. I'm going with you." The fox decided with a nod. He could offer her as many reassuring words as possible, but they were empty and meaningless. They wouldn't make the situation any better. At least if he was there with her, it wasn't just a show of support, but he could act as a buffer between Judy and her school friends if things started to get difficult.

Shaking her head vehemently, the doe's paws rose to grasp at Nick's muzzle. Amethyst held emerald, and the rabbit pleaded with the fox. "Nick, no. They'll make snide comments about you." Though it made her uncomfortable to hear what her old school acquaintances thought of her, the very idea of them making comments about Nick, brave and kind and sometimes snarky Nick, was unacceptable.

"Then let them. It's no fur off my muzzle, and it'll take the attention off you." It didn't bother Nick in the slightest. Being a fox meant he was used to harsh comments and being judged, it was nothing to him now. If anything, while getting to support Judy at her reunion, it would also be an excellent opportunity to see where she'd grown up and learn a little more about his partner.

Though his offer was sweet, Judy could see an immediate flaw with it, and while it pained her to point it out, she felt it had to be said. "I think turning up together would draw even more attention to me." Bunnyburrow would come alive at the news of Judy returning home with a fox in tow. If they were going to do this, she'd have to brief her family beforehand so they wouldn't jump to conclusions.

"Yeah, I am devastatingly handsome." Nick joked, breaking some of the tension and making Judy guffaw in the process, her paws slipping from his muzzle. Hearing her laughter after dealing with her gloomy demeanor for the past few days was a breath of fresh air. "Honestly though, Fluff." He switched to a serious tone. "I'm more than happy to come with you. No one is going to make snide remarks when you turn up with a mean old fox. The comments will be aimed at me, and I don't care. All I care about is whether it would help you."

The unexpectedly kind gesture from her partner had the rabbit's eyes welling up with tears. It meant the world to her that he was willing to deal with her judgy school acquaintances to ensure she was okay. She forced the tears back though, not wanting to cry. She loathed the 'emotional bunny' stereotype, even if there was a merit of truth to it. Having Nick by her side would make the reunion bearable, and afterward, they could laugh about it together.

"Would it help?" Nick sought clarification, noting the tears welling up in Judy's eyes. He had to stop himself from reaching out to wipe at her cheeks, stop himself from shushing her and telling her it was okay. _"Since when have you been so emotional, Wilde?"_ He mentally chastised himself. Judy's small nod was all the confirmation he needed, though now he'd have to go out and find a smart outfit from somewhere. He couldn't exactly turn up in his usual Pawaiian shirts. He wanted to look the part, to give Judy's friends less ammunition. "Then it's settled. I'll come with you." Though the fox would be out of his element, he was a pro at adapting to new and challenging situations. It was what had made him such a good hustler, and what made him a good cop.

Wrapping her paws around Nick's neck, Judy yanked him down into a fierce hug. The angle was awkward, and the center console made it uncomfortable for them both, but the rabbit didn't care. Burying her nose in the fluffy fur on Nick's neck, she smiled, holding on to him for a little longer than usual. "Thank you, Slick." She gave the tod a squeeze before pulling back.

"You're welcome, Fluff." Nick offered her a toothy smile. Judy had always been a touchy-feely mammal and often gave the fox hugs. With the matter resolved, Nick twisted an arm behind himself. A clawed finger found the door lock button, and he gave it a push, the click of the doors unlocking echoing around the space.

"That was still creepy, and you better return my book to me!" The rabbit waggled a finger at the fox good-naturedly, this time able to exit the car with ease to the sound of Nick's rumbling laughter.


	2. Adjacent Apartments

Nick kicked the door of his room shut behind him, and it thudded to a close. He couldn't exactly call it an apartment after all when all he had was a box room with a rickety bed, battered dresser, old desk, and a microwave he had to thump every now and then to get working. Luxury it was not, but the Grand Pangolin Arms was cheap, and the owner Dharma Armadillo hadn't been too fussy about renting out a room to a street fox. $300 a month was easy enough to for a conmammal like himself to make, and it kept a roof over his head. Gone were the days Nick Wilde had to sleep rough.

Dumping the paper bag of groceries on to the desk, the tod stretched lazily and scratched his belly with a clawed paw. He only just managed to stifle a yawn. He'd had an early start this morning. He regularly changed his hustling spots around the city, not wanting to attract the attention of the cops, and today's hit had been in Tundra Town. It had been risky for him to head back there, given his past with the infamous mob boss Mr. Big, but the area was good pickings.

Nick had become so accustomed to noise in the building, especially given his proximity to Bucky and Pronk, the kudu and gemsbok respectively, that he missed the sound of pawsteps up the stairs. However, he didn't miss the sound of the door to the room adjacent to his opening. It had been empty for several weeks now, the serval that had occupied it previously having moved in with his girlfriend. The tod's curiosity was piqued as to who his new neighbor was.

"And welcome to the Grand Pangolin Arms, luxury apartments with charm. Complementary de-lousing once a month... Don't lose your key." He heard Dharma rattle off her usual spiel to new tenants before the armadillo plodded down the stairs, and the sound of hooves joined the noise

"Thank you. Oh, hi! I'm Judy, your new neighbor." The feminine voice had Nick's ears pricking up, and he turned on the spot to look at his door. A female? The building had been occupied by males for so long. The poor mammal had no idea what she was walking in to.

"Yeah? Well, we're loud." Bucky's voice was distinct.

"Don't expect us to apologize for it." After spending so long listening to the two of them fighting and yelling the fox had learned to tell the voices apart. Pronk had always been the ruder of the two, and Nick rolled his eyes at his comment. That wasn't any way to talk to a lady. Shady conmammal Nick might have been, but his mother had whacked his tail with her wooden cooking spoon any time he'd been rude to a female.

Eavesdropping was not a very noble act, but Nick found himself curious about his neighbor. Pressing his ear to the wall, he heard her enter the small room and set what he assumed was a suitcase down. "Greasy walls... Rickety bed...Crazy neighbors...I love it!" He could hear the excitement in her voice, and the fox strangely found himself smiling. He'd let her settle in a little first before introducing himself.

Moving away from the wall he rummaged in the paper bag of groceries, sliding some of the produce into the small fridge under his desk. He'd found it at a salvage yard in the rainforest district, and after a bit of TLC and a new plug it had turned on. Making himself a quick sandwich, Nick ate hungrily, licking his paws clean when he was done. Grabbing his wash bag from the desk and a fresh pair of underwear from the small dresser, he made a quick stop at the communal bathroom in preparation for bed. Though it was only mid-afternoon, the early start that morning meant the fox was now running on fumes.

On his way back, he passed the room with the new occupant. The walls were so paper thin that he could hear her humming as she unpacked her suitcase. It brought a small smile to Nick's lips as he shouldered his room door open. He was curious as to what mammal she was. Predator or prey? What color fur did she have? Was she tall or short? Nick shook his head as he kicked the door shut behind him, throwing his wash bag on to the desk. _"Why do you care, Wilde? You're not here to make friends. The closer you get to other mammal's, the closer they get to finding out the truth."_ He grabbed at the flimsy curtains, pulling them across the window. They did little to block out the afternoon sunshine. Flinging back the covers on his rickety bed, the tod plugged his phone in to charge before he clambered in, tossing and turning until he found a perfect comfy spot. Content with a belly full of food and a fat stack of cash in his wallet, Nick fell asleep.

 _BEEP BEEP BEEP._

The obnoxious noise started Nick, pulling him from the middle of an incredible dream featuring a gorgeous vixen. Screwing his eyes together tight, the tod groaned and pulled the sheets over his head for the few seconds it took for the sound to stop. It had come from his new neighbor's room. Peering over the edge of the bed, he checked the time on his phone. 5:30am. _"What the hell is she doing waking up at this time?"_ He questioned, rolling over to bury his muzzle in the pillow. _"You were awake at this time yesterday, Wilde."_ He reminded himself. Now he was awake, he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. The only appointment he had today was with Finnick. The fennec was running low on funds, so Nick had reluctantly agreed to help him with a fairly straightforward hustle. They weren't due to meet until 10am. With that in mind, Nick turned on to his back and stretched. Finding a comfy spot, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. The city was beginning to wake up, and he could hear a few cars in the street being started. His new neighbor was getting ready for their day, and the cheetah – Mr. Spots – who lived above him would soon be getting up for his morning run. _"Just another day in Zootopia."_

* * *

His day had been too easy, and now Nick was a few hundred dollars richer for it. The little rabbit cop had been easy to fool, though he'd been a bit worried about how quickly she'd tracked him down later in the day to confront him. _"Never mind, you outsmarted her and made her feel bad about herself. She won't bug you now."_ The fox gave himself a mental pat on the back. Had it been somewhat cruel of him to mock her? Sure. But Nick knew that it was the best way to get rid of a pesky mammal. Flopping down on to his bed, he stretched lazily. Tomorrow he was having lunch with his mother, but other than that Nick intended to take the day off. Maybe he'd wander the streets and enjoy the sunshine, let inspiration strike him for his next con.

The sound of shuffling footsteps made his ears swivel towards the door, and the tod listened as his neighbor returned, opening the door to her room. He tracked her through the tiny space until the sound of her movement was smothered by the radio. Everybody Hurts. All by Myself. Can't Do Nothin' Right. Was it sad song night across the radio stations? Nick shook his head. So long as she didn't play the music too loudly, he could live with it. The microwave pinged, and there were a few moments of sound the fox couldn't make out before he heard a phone ringing.

The tod didn't even bother to check if it was his – his ringtone was stuck asking what the fox said ever since he'd let Finnick borrow it to call one of his ladies. He knew it was wrong, that he should occupy himself in some other way such as showering or listening to music, but Nick found himself more interested in the call next door. Maybe it would tell him more about his mystery neighbor? He was planning on swinging by to introduce himself after dinner.

"Oh, hey, it's my parents!" He heard the mock happiness in her voice, and he could only imagine that she'd have plastered on a fake smile to match. She shared pleasantries with the mammals on the other end of the phone, but it was the male voice that caught his attention.

" _Jude the Dude."_ He frowned. Jude could be a boys name, and dude certainly matched, but his neighbor's voice was distinctly feminine even though it was muffled slightly by the wall. Had she been more of a tom-kit then? _"First day on the force?"_ The other part of the sentence had Nick's head turning sharply so he could stare at the wall between their rooms, emerald eyes wide and a little fearful. _"Oh merciful mammal, please no…"_ The female voice on the phone mentioned meter maid, and Nick's stomach plummeted. The rabbit. The cop rabbit. She was his neighbor.

Nick was up and off the bed quickly, grabbing a light jacket, his phone, and his wallet. Swiping his keys he made a quiet and hasty exit, taking the stairs in the building two at a time until he was on the ground floor and outside. Only then did he dare make a sound, his exhale loud as he wheezed. Why the heck was a member of the ZPD living in his crummy building? It would make it twice as hard for him not to be arrested now for his scams, she'd keep even more of an eye on him. He'd have to brush up on the city laws so he could run rings around her.

"Of all the mammals in this city…"

* * *

Her first day on the force hadn't been what Judy had hoped, regardless of what she'd told her parents. True a meter maids job was important, tickets were a huge source of income for the city, but she hadn't spent countless months at the academy pushing and challenging herself, studying every night in the run-up to her exams, just to spend her days slapping tickets on cars and dealing with irate citizens. Judy had joined the force to make a difference, to help mammals in need, not to annoy them. Tomorrow was another day though, and this time she'd convince Chief Bogo to let her walk the beat or join one of her new colleagues on a case.

She still couldn't believe that she'd fallen for the fox's act. She should've seen right through it. After all, her father had always told her that foxes were crafty. After her run-in with Gideon as a kit, she'd given them a wide berth. She'd thought coming to the city was a clean slate and city foxes would be different. Apparently not. He'd been just as rude as Gideon, but unfortunately, he wasn't as dumb. It would take some doing, but Judy swore that one day she'd back him so far into a corner that she'd wipe the dumb smirk off his face.

Her stomach grumbled loudly as she plugged her phone in the charge. The microwaveable carrot dinner had been insulting to the carrot farmers daughter, and Judy decided it was best to not tell her parents. They'd only worry and then send her crates of carrots. They were great and all, but a bunny couldn't live on carrots alone. Picking up her little washbag and PJ's, she left the safety of her room and headed towards the bathroom. There was one on each floor and four 'apartments' per floor. To her left, she had Bucky and Pronk, who had someone on the other side of them, and to her right was the end 'apartment' and another neighbor she was yet to meet.

It was rude not to have introduced herself, and as she passed their door, she momentarily wondered if she should knock. Ultimately, she passed on the chance. All she wanted was a hot shower and her bed.

* * *

It was late when Nick returned from his impromptu evening walk. He'd needed to get outside and clear his head. Living next to a cop was dangerous, especially one who seemed so tightly strung and a stickler for abiding by the law. He'd have to play it smart. As he'd walked through the city center, still bustling with life even at the late hour, he'd contemplated whether it would be wise to move to a different part of the city, away from her. He'd quickly squashed the idea. He wasn't going to be chased out of his home by some tiny bunny and her inferiority complex.

His return was as quiet as his exit. As much as he didn't care for the rabbit, he liked his other neighbors and didn't wish to disturb them. It was an unspoken rule in the building that after 10pm all mammals were quiet. Even Bucky and Pronk managed to live by the rule.

Figuring he'd shower in the morning, Nick slid off his jacket and threw it over the back of his desk chair, plopping down his wallet and keys. Shimmying out of his clothes he left them in a heap on the floor before plugging in his phone to charge, letting it sit on the floor by his bed. He hadn't seen the purpose of buying a real clock when his cellphone displayed the time too.

Scooting under the covers he got himself comfy, fluffy tail curling around his legs, offering another layer of warmth. He was just on the brink of sleep when he heard it.

Sniffling.

They weren't the kind of sniffles a mammal had to endure when suffering from a cold either. Head just visible from under the covers, Nick's ears swiveled to the wall. Being in the end 'apartment' meant the noise only had one origin.

Paw lifting, Nick rubbed at his face. He didn't need this, and he should've left well alone, but there was a deep tugging in his gut, a desire to offer some sort of comfort. It spooked him and gave him a moment's pause. The only mammal he'd ever felt compelled to comfort was his mother. _"It must be because she's female."_ He rationalized, wincing when he realized how bad that had sounded. He was grateful his mother wasn't a mind reader, though a few times as a kit he'd thought she had been, or else she'd have scolded him for such an antiquated thought.

Knowing he would need to mask his voice or risk his identity being uncovered, Nick gently rapped a paw against the wall. "Are you okay?" He asked softly though the answer was more than apparent. It was at least a way to get the conversation going.

The sound of a voice coming from the other side of the wall had Judy freezing, her sniffles stopping. She hadn't intended to get upset, didn't want to slot right into the emotional bunny stereotype, but today had been awful, and her parent's happiness at her being a meter-maid rather than walking the beat had brought her down. Once she'd been left to the silence of the night, and with nothing to do but lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, all of her emotions had come rushing forward until the only thing she could do was cry them out and hope it would exhaust her enough so she could sleep. "I-I'm fine. Thank you." She cleared her voice, answering her neighbor. She felt a flash of guilt – had she accidentally woken him?

"You don't sound fine." Nick kept his true voice concealed.

Paws swiping at her eyes, Judy wiped away the few tears that had fallen and dampened her fur. She didn't want to dump her problems on to her new neighbor, she could deal with them like a grown doe. "New city and everything, it'll take a bit to get used to." She wasn't completely dishonest, leaving home was hard for any mammal.

The tod knew all too well how hard it was growing up and leaving home. He'd been sixteen when the streets had called him, and while the first few months had been rough, he'd slowly surrounded himself with decent enough mammals and formed some sort of routine and plan. He hadn't looked back since. "Everything?" He knew it was dangerous to push for more information, especially if it ever came to light that it was him who was asking, but curiosity got the better of him.

"The first day at work, just trying to find my feet." Judy forced her voice to sound cheerful. Tomorrow was another day, and it would be a better one.

Playing dumb, Nick kept the conversation going. "Well, that's great, congratulations! What do you do?"

The doe wasn't sure how much she could reveal. Was it wise to go around telling strangers she worked for the ZPD? Did she even want to admit to a stranger that she'd been dumped with the job of meter-maid when she'd spent months training to be an officer? Biting down on her lower lip, she figured it wouldn't hurt to tell him where she worked. Mammals talked about their jobs all the time. "I'm an officer, with the ZPD. I trained really hard to be their first rabbit officer."

Nick's many years conning mammals out of their cash came in useful. With ease, he acted surprised at the information. "Oh wow, that must be a cool job., and congrats on being the first bunny on the force."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." Judy smiled to herself, pulling the sheets a little tighter around her. Her picture had been in all the newspapers, and her parents had kept copies of them. Her smile soon disappeared though, the corners of her lips tugging downwards as she remembered how today had gone. It was not how she'd envisioned her first day on the force.

"I sense there's a 'but' there…" Nick chanced it. He couldn't understand why he was driven to carry on the conversation, to keep the rabbit talking, and to learn more about her. _"You're just getting to know the enemy Wilde, that's all it is."_

Nose twitching, Judy wondered whether it was wise to vent to her new neighbor. She didn't want him thinking she was a Negative Nancy, but at the same time, he'd asked, and she had no one else to speak to. Her siblings didn't care about her job, and her parents were too thrilled about her not being a 'real cop' that they wouldn't listen and understand. "It was a tough day." She started, playing with the edge of the sheet. "I thought that my first day would involve being assigned a cool case, or walking the beat, getting to know my colleagues and understanding police life." She sighed, feeling a mixture of sadness and frustration welling up inside of her. "Instead I was given the job of meter maid, had countless mammals yell at me, had to drive around in a stupidly slow single-mammal vehicle that made me look like a joke, and then some jerk conned me." It had been the final item on her list that had stung the most. _"You're too naïve Judy, too trusting. This isn't Bunnyburrow anymore, the mammal's here aren't as nice as everyone back home."_

"What happened?" Nick played dumb, wondering how Judy would paint him in her story.

She didn't want to come across as speciest, she was better than that, but the story came pouring out before she could stop it. "Back home we have it drilled into our heads from kithood that foxes are bad news. It was the one thing my parents were the most frightened about when I moved here. I was putting a ticket on a car when I heard a horn and shouting. Turns out some sheep nearly ran over a fox. I'm afraid I stereotyped a little, and he looked shifty, so I followed him to an elephant ice-cream store. The server was refusing to serve him though, but he had a son, and he desperately wanted a Jumbo Pop for him. I felt bad for having stereotyped him, so I used my knowledge of the law to get him the Jumbo Pop and paid for it myself. Turns out he was a street hustler though, and it was all a lie." Judy scowled, mentally kicking herself for having fallen for Nick's trick. "He melted down the popsicle into smaller ones and sold them to some lemmings, then sold the popsicle sticks to a rodent construction firm." She shook her head, still in disbelief at what had happened. "I stood up for him, I thought I was helping and doing the right thing, but he played me, and then when I confronted him about it he enjoyed rubbing it in my face. I took this job to help mammals and give a voice to the little guy, it's the one thing I was good at back home, and I can't even do that right anymore."

"He sounds like a jerk." Nick placated. Bringing Judy down had given him a momentary high, and had made him feel like he wasn't the lowest step on the ladder anymore. Now though, Nick felt even lower. He felt like dirt. He'd taken advantage of her good nature. _"You take advantage of everyone's good nature, it's why you're such a good hustler. Why do you even care about this rabbit's feelings? You don't really know her. She doesn't pay your bills or sleep in your bed."_

She could deal with Nick's scathing appraisal of her; she'd heard all the rabbit stereotypes before. But it had been his parting shot that had hurt her the most. "He said I'd never be a real cop."

Nick wasn't sure if it was just the wall distorting Judy's voice, but the desolation he heard filled him with a sense of sadness. Sure his dreams had come crashing down around him, and that was in part his own fault, but that didn't give him a free pass to tear down others. The realization startled the fox, and he gave his head a shake. He couldn't start developing a conscious now. "Why're you letting the words of this jerk get to you? From the sounds of it, you really want this job, and you worked hard to earn it."

"If a civilian won't take me seriously, what hope have I for doing my job properly and earning the respect of my fellow officers?" That was the crux of the matter. The Mammal Inclusion Initiative had made her dream a reality, but few seemed to believe she was capable. Chief Bogo, in particular, appeared against her being under his command. She hoped to win over the public, show Chief Bogo and the others that she could be and deserved to be respected. However, that hadn't been the case today.

"What made you want to be a cop in the first place?" The questions kept coming, and Nick mentally kicked himself for falling further down the proverbial rabbit hole. _"Now you're making rabbit puns. Great."_ If he could figure out why she wanted to be a cop, maybe he could tie that back in and help boost her mood.

"My parents wanted me to join the family business, but it didn't feel right. I felt like I'd be living the life they want me to have, rather than living the life I want to have. I like helping and protecting other mammals, it's a challenge being a bunny and all, but it fills me with a sense of pride and happiness whenever I help. I was bullied a lot in school, I liked to read and do my homework, and answer all the teachers' questions. My classmates picked on my clothes and my ears, and how I thump a hindpaw when I'm thinking. It was awful. As I moved up the grades though and saw younger mammals being bullied, I just knew I had to help them and stand up for them. So I did. I wanted to become a cop to help those who don't have a voice or those who keep being silenced."

Surprised by the amount of information Judy had been willing to give, Nick found himself smiling as she spoke of her desire to protect and speak for those who were unable to. She had a hero complex for sure, but she'd have to learn to be a little less trusting and not divulge too much information to strangers if she wanted to do well in the city. "Then let that desire guide you." He shrugged, rolling over to find a new comfy spot. "My father always told me that if you want it, then you go and get it. Sure your first day didn't get off to the best start, but I don't know any mammal that didn't have a crappy first day in a new job. You don't know what tomorrow will bring. An opportunity could crop up, and then you can grab it with both paws and prove the civilians and your colleagues wrong."

Judy blinked, working through her neighbor's words. He was right. It had been foolish of her to think that her first day would be perfect, that the stars would align and everything would go to plan. Hazing was common; maybe that was what today had been about? There was still plenty of time to prove herself, and she'd do more than merely smack 200 tickets on cars before noon. "You're right, something will crop up, and then Chief Bogo and Slick Nick will realize I'm not just a dumb bunny! Thanks, neighbor." Mood lifted, the doe grinned.

The fox winced as she mentioned his name, momentarily feeling a flash of regret for having banded around the bunny stereotype. His mother had often told him that words could be powerful, and he had a feeling Judy took them to heart. "What's your family business?" Now that Judy sounded a little happier, though he was still concerned why he'd gone to such an extent to lift her mood, he was dying to hear if his stereotype was true.

"We own a carrot farm in Bunnyburrow." Judy confirmed, turning over, so she was now facing the wall. She wondered what her neighbor looked like, what kind of mammal he was. He would probably be taller than her, and he sounded like he was nice. Maybe he'd be her first friend in the city.

The tod had to bite down on his lower lip to stop himself from laughing. He'd been right! Oh, it was priceless. Waiting for a beat to calm himself, he spoke again. "What does Bunnyburrow have that the city doesn't?" He asked, and though he'd been laughing internally moments before, Nick couldn't help but feel bad for the bunny. He knew the city so well that he was sure he could point her in the direction of whatever she was missing.

"My family for one," Judy muttered, shaking her head as she pulled one of the many bunny plushies on her bed closer to her chest. "Good carrots. The microwave meal I'd planned on having for dinner was awful." Her nose scrunched as she remembered how withered and pathetic the lone carrot had been.

Now that was something Nick could help with. "Take the metro to the Meadowlands, get off at Haymarket. There's a farmers market there every Sunday afternoon. The produce might not be as good as you'd get back at home, but it's the best in the city." He offered. He swung by occasionally to pick up some blueberries from old Mrs. A Possum whenever he had the spare cash for it. Her blueberries were the best in Zootopia. She never divulged where exactly she got them from, though. She was too old and had too many to sell to have grown them herself.

Surprised by the kindness of her neighbor, Judy grinned, her earlier tears long forgotten. "I will, thank you." An idea struck her. "Hey, why don't we go together this weekend? New to the city and everything, I'd hate to get lost." It was a lame excuse if she'd ever heard one, but the doe wanted to know him better, build her first real friendship in the city.

Caught out by Judy's request, Nick's eyes widened, and he found himself staring at the ceiling unblinking, a million different thoughts running through his head. _"Shot yourself in the tail there, Wilde. Say you're busy. But then she'll be sad. Why do you even care if she's sad? Maybe she'd be suspicious if you didn't go and had a lame excuse. Can't have her snooping around. But then I can't go either because as soon as she sees me, she'll try to arrest me. Ohhh dang it Wilde, you just had to let your curiosity get the better of you and try to be nice."_ Realising that he hadn't responded yet, Nick cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'd be down for that." He kept his voice neutral. It was only Monday night, he had plenty of time to come up with a reason not to go.

The rabbit hugged a plushie tighter, feeling more relaxed. Work would be better tomorrow, and her new friend would show her the best carrots in the city. "Thank you." She smiled, frowning a moment later. "Wait, what's your name? I'm Judy."

Knowing he was already in treacherous territory, Nick did the only thing he could think of.

He began to snore.


End file.
